Before becoming a director in theatre, Charles Roubaud studied graphic arts and worked in advertising.
In 1986, he staged his first production - Jules Massenet`s opera Don Quichotte, in Marseilles. This production has been staged in most French opera houses, as well as the Opera Royale de Wallonie in Liege and San Francisco Opera. In 1987, he staged Rossini`s La cenerentola and, one year later in Marseilles, Henri Tomasi`s opera Don Juan de Manara (Miguel de Manara) and Poulenc`s Dialogues des carmelites. In 1989-1990, he continued working with the French opera repertoire, staging Debussy`s Pelleas et Melisande and Massenet`s Manon at the Opera de Bordeaux. In 1990 in Marseilles, the traditional Summer Nights festival opened with his production of Donizetti`s Lucia di Lammermoor and, in 1991, with his production of Bellini`s I puritani. He later staged the same production at the Opera d`Avignon, the Kennedy Center, Washington, and the Maestranza Theatre in Seville.
In 1992, he staged Janaeek`s Katia Kabanova in Marseilles and Strauss` Die Frau ohne Schatten the next season, which was awarded the prize for the best musical and theatrical production of the year. That year, the autumn festival in Semur en Auxois invited him to stage a new production of Mozart`s Don Giovanni.
In 1994, he staged Strauss` Salome and Mozart`s Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail in Marseilles. 1995 saw a production of Aida at the Choregies d`Orange. In 1996 and 1999, there were productions of Der Ring des Nibelungen in Marseilles, followed by Prince Igor and Berenice in 2001.
The Choregies d`Orange had previously invited him to stage Turandot in 1997, Norma in 1999 and Don Carlos in 2001, the year of Giuseppe Verdi. That year he also staged Rigoletto at the Arena di Verona.
In 2002, he staged a new production of Nabucco at the Forum Grimaldi in Monte Carlo, followed by Strauss` Ariadne auf Naxos in Marseilles. In 2003 – productions of Strauss` Elektra in Marseilles and Verdi`s Nabucco at the Teatro Regio in Parma .